Chargers right tackle Shane Olivea is holding out hope that he will play against the Oakland Raiders tomorrow, but the longer he talked after practice yesterday, the more he sounded like someone who won't be able to play.

"My knee's not the strongest right now," said Olivea, who suffered a sprained medial collateral ligament in his left knee Monday against Pittsburgh. "I want to be able to go out there and help the team, not go out there and hurt the team. I don't know."

Olivea tried to do some work in practice yesterday but wasn't encouraged. He said if the game had been yesterday, he wouldn't have played.

"You never know, so we'll see what happens," he said. "It's going to have to change a lot from now till game time.

"If I can push off on it and do some of the things I'm accustomed to, then the pain, I'll deal with it. But it's at the point right now where it's not strong enough for me to push off and do some of the things I'm accustomed to."

Olivea, who has started 21 straight games since joining the Chargers as a rookie last season, said doctors told him it would take four weeks for the knee to heal. He would be replaced by Leander Jordan.

More injuries

Three other starters also missed practice yesterday: linebacker Steve Foley (abdominal strain), cornerback Drayton Florence (ankle) and wide receiver Eric Parker (back). Coach Marty Schottenheimer said the status of all four players would be determined tomorrow, although Parker remained probable on the team's injury report (the others are questionable).
Foley said he wasn't sure if doctors would permit him to play.

"If they think it's in my best interests for me not to go, then I will need someone to come and literally sit me down," Foley said. "Because left up to me, I'm going to go."

Schottenheimer said guard Toniu Fonoti (hand) and tight end Ryan Krause (foot) would not play.